NBA Playoffs: Top 15 Most Significant Moments in Miami Heat Postseason History

When LeBron James and Chris Bosh washed up on the sunny shores of South Beach, immediate success was predicted. Not only were they expected to run the regular season, but especially in the post season where Wade and James had thrived for nearly the entirety of their careers. With those three now joined up, the next few years worth of championships should have come with ease.

It's so far, so good for the Heat after beating a young, upstart Philadelphia 76ers club in five games and then taking game one from the Boston Celtics to start off their first semi-finals appearance since 2006. Miami finally 'turned it on' and used some quality first half defense and some more impressive play from Dwyane Wade to pull out a victory against a Celtics team that had eliminated them in the first round only a year prior.

This years post season will surely be one to remember for years to come, but we have had plenty of memorable playoff appearances from the Miami Heat prior. Before Dwyane Wade was leading his Marquette Golden Eagles to the Final Four, the Heat were making moves as one of the more threatening teams in the NBA.

Even before LeBron James was receiving free Hummer's as a member of St. Vincent-St. Mary's, the likes of Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway were leading the Heat to deep post season runs. Miami didn't see all that success add up until their improbable 2006 run, but we still enjoyed the ride they took us on for over 15 years.

With every door closing, another one opened for the Heat and after years of disappointment and hardship, they were finally able to have some sort of post season success years later. Through all this time pre-championship and post-championship, we have seen some of the most significant moments not only in franchise history, but in NBA history.

Here's 15 of those moments to get you going down memory lane.

15. Dwyane Wade Throws It Down on Erick Dampier

The 2006 NBA Finals never really had one defining moment, instead it was a series of moments compiled together to form one of the greatest individual performances in the 60 year history of playing this game.

Dwyane Wade did have one quality highlight play that would end up on a top ten reel during game one of the Finals. He was able to outrace Josh Howard to the three-point line, then split two defenders before finally reaching his peak with a thunderous dunk on his current teammate and 7' Erick Dampier.

It appeared that Erick was set to attempt to block the shot, but he was too slow for the incredibly agile Wade who had already dunked the ball before Dampier even had time to recover.

14. Dwyane Wade Dunks on Jermaine O'Neal

One of the first glimpses of just how good this Dwyane Wade kid could be came during his rookie season in the 2004 post season.

After beating out the New Orleans Hornets 4-3 in a tightly contested first round series, Wade led the charge for the Heat against the number one seeded Indiana Pacers. Indiana was heavily favored against a scrappy Miami team that was depending most of its post season chances on how far the rookie would take them. He helped Miami fight back after losing the first two in Indiana, but then came back and won the next two at home.

The defining moment of the series came in game four when a cutting Wade took a pass from Lamar Odom and proceeded it to slam it over the 6'11" Jermaine O'Neal who was in his prime and was considered one of the best defenders in the league at the time.

Indiana would go on to win the series 4-2, but Wade had already made his impression felt and gave us a look on what was to come.

13. Dwyane Wade Brings the Circus Against Detroit

For a player in only his third year, Dwyane Wade was already making plays that most veterans could only wish to complete.

One of those plays came during the Miami Heat's championship run in their Conference Finals series with the rival Detroit Pistons. The 2006 match-up between the two teams came a year after the Heat blew a 3-2 Conference Finals lead against Detroit, so Miami could call this series the revenge tour. Miami would only need six games to dispose of the Pistons this time around as they would advance to their first NBA Finals.

The defining moment of the series came during a ridiculous aerial assault by Dwyane as he was able to drive and rise up, draw a foul on Antonio McDyess, and make the lay up. That doesn't sound that impressive, but it does make it impressive considering that Wade was able to draw that foul and make that lay up backwards while falling.

After eight years in the league, plays like this from Dwyane can still somehow surprise us.

12. Dwyane Wade's Defensive Stand Against New Jersey

The 2006 post season for the Miami Heat was mostly overshadowed by Dwyane Wade's performance in the NBA Finals, but it turns out that he was also just as effective and clutch in the other rounds of the post season as well.

Holding a 3-1 lead in the semi-finals against the Big Three of the New Jersey Nets, it came down to one last possession with the Heat up by one and only a little more than a second remaining separating the Heat from their second consecutive Conference Finals appearance. With Jason Kidd inbounding, anything was possible for the Nets if they wanted to get a shot off.

Kidd inbounded the ball to Vince Carter, but he got caught up from a pick and stumbled and it allowed Dwyane Wade to take advantage by knocking the ball away and stealing it to seal a 4-1 series win over a Nets team that had a game six at home in mind.

And the rest is history.

11. Dwyane Wade's En Fuego

The 2010 post season for the Miami Heat would be one to forget if not for the exploits and theatrics of Dwyane Wade. His team was severely over matched against an experienced Boston Celtics and it allowed Boston to take a commanding 3-0 lead into game four. No team had ever come back from such a deficit and it didn't seem like that Wade would be able to lead his inexperienced and aging team to any sort of miracle comeback.

They didn't, but they would get one of the best performances of the post season from Wade. After the heat blew a double-digit lead, it was once again up to Wade to save the team from the embarrassment of a sweep. Three-pointer after three-pointer came and Dwyane was able to lead his team back from another certain loss behind a playoff high 46 points and five three-pointers.

The Heat would lose the next game, but Wade's performance in the series was one for the ages as he averaged 33 points per game on 56% shooting, both being post season highs.

10. After Long Last, the Miami Heat Win Their First Series

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

24 Apr 1997: Guard Anfernee Hardaway of the Orlando Magic guards forward PJ Brown of the Miami Heat during a game at the Orlando Arena in Orlando, Florida. The Heat won the game 99-64. Mandatory Credit: Andy Lyons /Allsport

It certainly wasn't as easy as expected, but the Miami Heat got the job done following a 61 win season that earned themselves a second seed.

A second seed would usually get somewhat of an easy opponent, but instead the Heat drew a young athletic Orlando Magic team. Miami would win the first two games at home by resounding results as they won game one by 35 points and game two by 17. The Heat only needed one win to finally advance past the first round for the first time in franchise history, but it didn't come as easy as the first two games.

Instead, the Magic came right back with a 13 point blow out of their own in Orlando. They then proceeded to win game four to push a possible wash of a series to a decisive game five back in Miami. The Heat managed to finish off what they started though with a 91-83 victory that would send them to the semi-finals with a date against the New York Knicks.

Previously, the Heat had gone eight years without winning a single post season series.

9. Tim Hardaway Goes Bananas

The way Dwyane Wade kills teams today is the equivalent and then some of what Tim Hardaway did to the New York Knicks one distant third quarter far back in the annuls of time.

With the Knicks depleted and without some of their best players, the Heat were able to take advantage and send the game back to Miami for game seven. After Alonzo Mourning picked up his fifth foul in a game where the Knicks were in the middle of a rally, it then became the Tim Hardaway show as he began to rain down three-pointers with all kinds of defenders draped over him from incomprehensible distances.

With Mourning getting the crowd into it from the bench, Hardaway absolutely took over and single-handedly demolished the New York Knicks and their Conference Finals hopes.

If you combined J.R. Smith and Jamal Crawford and their tendencies to get hot from the field, you might be able to nearly match the level that Hardaway was playing at in that third quarter.

8. P.J. Brown vs Charlie Ward

Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone gave their shot at pro wrestling when they sparred in a WWF match, but who would have guessed that the real professional on the court was the Miami Heat's P.J. Brown.

When the 6'2", 190 pound New York Knick Charlie Ward attempted an awkward box out attempt following a free throw on the 6'11", 225 pound Brown, it was advantage Miami the whole way.

Ward boxed out Brown along his legs and it obviously irked him since P.J. then proceeded to pick Charlie up by his waist and flip him into two tables. Ok, it was a bunch of cameramen, but the damage was done nonetheless and it resulted in the suspension of Brown, Ward, John Starks, Larry Johnson, Patrick Ewing, and Allan Houston for coming off the bench and intervening in the altercation.

Turns out that this would be the best possible scenario for the Heat as they were able to overcome a 3-1 deficit and take the series 4-3 for their lone post season series win over the New York Knicks.

7. Alonzo Mourning vs. Larry Johnson, Charles Oakley, and Jeff Van Gundy

For the Miami Heat, most of their post season series against the New York Knicks were times in their franchise history that they'd like to forget.

As much as we'd like to forget, there were too many moments that have been imprinted in our minds forever. One of the most memorable times during that prolific rivalry came during one of the two teams numerous altercations. This altercation was none like any other though as it not only involved the players, but a tiny, balding coach as well.

Alonzo Mourning departed from the Charlotte Hornets on bad terms with Larry Johnson and it wasn't a pretty sight when the two tangled at the end of a game during the 1998 post season. Mourning and Johnson pushed each other a few times before Charles Oakley intervened and got a few fore arms to the face from Alonzo.

The moment that no one will ever forget came at the bottom of the pile though where New York Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy was wrapped around the legs of 'Zo. It took a few Knicks to eventually pull Van Gundy off of Mourning's tree trunk of a leg.

His comb over would never be the same.

6. Dwyane Wade Hits the Game Winner Against New Orleans

In a tightly contested playoff game, a coach would tend to allow the crafty veteran or the reliable scorer to take the final shot.

In game one of the first round in the 2004 post season between the Miami Heat and New Orleans Hornets, former Heat coach Stan Van Gundy elected to not give it to the likes of Eddie Jones or Lamar Odom, but instead to Dwyane Wade, the player who had never played in an NBA post season game until then. With 11 seconds left on the clock in a tied game, it was up to Wade to give Miami their first victory of the post season.

With an ankle-breaking cross over, he left Baron Davis in the dust and then moved on to his taller opponents in the paint. The out-stretched arms of the 6'11" Jamaal Magloire was no match as Wade lofted the floater right over his fingertips, made the shot, and gave the Heat an 81-79 lead that they would keep until the end to take game one.

Ice cold from the start.

5. Alonzo Mourning Blocks Dallas out of a Title

This wasn't one significant moment, but more along the lines of six significant moments. The Dallas Mavericks were continually playing catch-up for the majority of the way in game six and most of their comebacks were put to a halt thanks to the defense of Alonzo Mourning.

The aging warrior had been through the emotional pain of losing to the New York Knicks for a few post season runs and also dealt with the physical pain of having a rare kidney ailment that forced him to retire for two years. Mourning came back in the 2004-'05 campaign to assist the Heat in their championship run and a year later he was the player that was leading the teams defense to a victory.

Mourning had six blocks in the decisive game six with each defensive stand being more timely than the last. Each block stopped a potential comeback or run from the Mavericks and it potentially prevented 12 points that could have fallen for Dallas in a game that was only decided by three points.

4. The Heat Beat Their Personal Demons

Has anyone else noticed how analysts are comparing today's Boston Celtics to the Detroit Pistons of the mid-2000's? The reason for this being that the Miami Heat were tormented by the Pistons in the years before the Heat were finally able to triumph over them in the 2005 Conference Finals. The Pistons had also run the Eastern Conference for years much the same way the Celtics have currently done over the past four seasons.

The 2005 post season was the Heat's best chance at revenge. The year before they had lost 4-3 on account of Dwyane Wade suffering a rib injury and being forced to sit out game six and then being limited in game seven. This time around, Wade was healthy and was up to the occasion of defeating the team that had run the East for years.

Sure enough, the Heat would only need six games to top the number one seeded Pistons en route to their first NBA Finals appearance. It would also just about put an end to the Detroit Pistons reign at the top of the Eastern Conference.

3. The Glove Comes Through in the Clutch

The NBA Finals wasn't all about Dwyane Wade proving himself to be one of the most electric and clutch players in the game. It was about his quality teammates as well who assisted Wade in leading the team to their first championship in franchise history. The ending of game three also featured some of the greatest moments in NBA history as Wade led the Heat back from 13 points down with a little under six minutes to go.

However, it wasn't Wade who gave the Heat the go-ahead score. With the game tied at 95 and the seconds ticking off the clock, the ball was in Wade's hands once again to continue leading this improbable charge. Dwyane appeared ready to pull up for the 20 footer, but changed his mind after some quality defense by Devin Harris.

Wade looked around and gave the ball to Jason Williams who drove and kicked it out to an open Gary Payton at the three-point line. Being the crafty veteran he is, Payton pump faked, took a step inside the arc, and nailed the 20 footer to give Miami the 97-95 lead. With a few lucky missed free throws later, the Heat were able to hang on for the 98-96 game three victory.

2. Dwyane Wade Sends It to Overtime in Game Five

As if he didn't do enough to work the Miami Heat back into the series, it was once again up to Dwyane Wade to save his team from a certain loss.

This time it came in game five of the NBA Finals where the Heat could have potentially faced a 3-2 deficit with two games in Dallas on the horizon. After Erick Dampier stuffed home an open dunk to give the Mavericks a 93-91 lead with 11 seconds remaining, the ball was given to Dwyane to tie the game or potentially win it.

With his defender draped all over him, Wade drove to the basket and banked it in with two seconds left to tie the game up at 93 apiece. The Mavericks wouldn't be able to convert on the other end and the game would be decided in overtime.

I'm sure you know how it goes from there.

1. Their Moment in the Sun

It was a long time coming, but the Miami Heat finally made their first NBA Finals. After losing the first two games, they were able to miraculously win all three games at home, and bring that 3-2 series lead back to Dallas for game six. Miami lost both of those games in the series on the road and neither game was too close, so it was absolutely crucial that the Heat pull off a win here to avoid a game seven in Dallas.

Momentum carried from Miami and the Heat were able to hold a lead for the entirety of the game. They held double-digit leads for a few moments in the game, but then saw the Mavericks begin a comeback in the fourth quarter. The game would be cut to three and the Heat would catch a break after a miss from the Mavericks in the final seconds that forced Dallas to foul Dwyane.

One free throw would have ended the game and it came as surprising to everyone when Wade missed both. It left the door open for the Mavericks and they were able to get one last shot off at the buzzer. It was sharp shooter Jason Terry taking the shot from deep, but he saw it just come up a bit long. Wade grabbed the rebound, threw the ball in the air, and time had finally run out giving the Heat their first championship in franchise history.

Hopefully the next title the Heat win won't come as difficult.